I won’t tell you that not going to Easter service will send you to Hell. I won’t tell you that not going to Easter service will change God’s love for you. And, I won’t tell you that not going to Easter service means you don’t believe in God or His one and only Son, Jesus. What I will tell you is that Easter is a big deal.

In fact, I’ve titled my message for this year’s Easter service, “What’s The Big Deal?” You see, I’m convinced that too many believers belittle this historical and life changing event. We fill ball fields and stadiums cheering for our favorite team. We go out of our way to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other signature events. Yet, will we have the same enthusiasm and devotion this Easter?

You see, there is a reason that even secular history books acknowledge the magnitude of Jesus birth, death, and resurrection. (B.C.) Before Christ mankind didn’t have a chance, was hopeless, and was destined for Hell. (A.D.) After Christ, every man, woman, boy, & girl was given a chance. A chance to repent, to believe, and to receive eternal life through Jesus Christ our Savior & Lord.

This Easter you could choose to stay home. But, the moment you fully realize all that Christ has done for you, you will rethink your decision. You will realize as I do now that I can’t ever thank God enough for sending His son Jesus to die for my sins. Jesus changed my life forever and it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your past, Jesus can change yours too.

I pray you make your way to an Easter Celebration. Not just to say you did and take a family photo, but to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To say, thank you Jesus for I am a life that is changed and eternally grateful.

Should you not have a church home, I want to personally invite you to join me @ Refuge Church. We have two worship service opportunities (9am & 11am) you can choose from. We’re located at the Colleton Recreation Center (280 Recreation Lane, Walterboro). The dress is casual, the people are friendly and the service will be incredible. I promise we’ll change the way you think about church. We’ll have coffee & donuts, activities for Birth-5th grade during both services, and no offering plate will be passed around. Happy Easter!

I’ve spent most of my life in ministry. I understand what it takes out of you to come alongside people in need. You give at times when you feel you have nothing left to give. You care at times when you really need someone to care about you.

I know how rewarding it is to feel you are God’s vessel, to feel God has handpicked you for a particular task that has greater impact than you may see at the time. There is no doubt that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

I also know what it feels like for people to jump to conclusions about you. To think they know your heart. To think things are as simple as they appear. When in reality, they have no idea just how big of shoes you are wearing.

I’ve heard a lot of folks over the past years talk negatively about Colleton Medical Center. For many reasons I feel led to share some positive light on this institution. I guess I’ve learned that hospitals and churches have one thing in common for sure: they both can be quickly judged for an isolated incident and even things beyond their control. I’m in and out of this hospital daily. I know many of the employees firsthand. I’ve seen their efforts from the first floor to the top. The more I’ve seen, the more I believe a new story needs to surface. Here is what I know for sure:

First of all, there is no doubt that many depend on this local hospital. Especially when you’re fighting for your life and you don’t have time to ride thirty extra miles down the road. You need folks ready and willing to take care of you right in your backyard. Day and night, Colleton Medical is there to provide just what you need in possibly your greatest time of need. Thank God!

Secondly, there is no doubt that Colleton Medical is full of compassionate and competent team members. I’ve seen the hearts and efforts of so many locals who work at Colleton. Many of them could work at any hospital, but they’ve chosen to keep their heart and talents in Walterboro. I’ve always said, that no one cares for their own like their own. In that hospital are some of the finest people I know. People that I would be honored to have by my hospital bedside.

Thirdly, the truth is working in the medical field is just not easy. Only God has the power to bring ultimate healing, but many expect these folks to be miracle workers. Yes, God does use them, but they too are totally dependent on a higher power. Often what man calls an accident, God calls an appointment. It’s important we don’t get those two things confused.

Now, I could share many more things and stories. But, I just want all those who work so hard at Colleton Medical Center to know you are making a difference. This community or this County would not be the same without you. I have personally grown to appreciate each of you. And, I thank God for sending you to Colleton County.

Someone reading this feels worthless, unworthy, and like you are the root of everyone’s problems. You wonder why you were even born and how you alone could have made such a mess. You just wish you could numb the pain and fix all the issues. At this point, you wonder why am I even still living. Doesn’t God know I’m just taking up space.

Lately, I’ve been running into more and more people who find themselves feeling this way. Maybe you’ve suffered a painful event. Maybe, you’ve done something you feel even God can’t forgive. Maybe you just can’t shake the feelings that everything is your fault. Here are three things God wants you to know.

#1 YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT. Whether planned or not planned by man, you are not an accident. God knit you together in your mother’s womb, scheduled your day of birth, and created you for a purpose. Nothing you have ever done or will do can change that reality.

#2 YOU ARE PRICELESS. God didn’t just create you, but He sent His only son Jesus to die for you. Even knowing that we’re all sinners and fall short each day. Jesus stepped down from Heaven and went to that cross because He believes you’re worth it. God does not love us based on performance, but He always sees us as His prize creation. Never doubt God’s love and the fact He is absolutely crazy about you.

#3 YOU ARE GONNA BE ALRIGHT. When you find yourself in a dark place it can be extremely difficult to see the light. Life is full of seasons, some of which we wish would never come. But, through every valley and mountain top experience God promises to always be there. When your strength is gone, He will carry you. When you’ve created a train wreck, He will use it all for His good and glory. And, even when you feel things are so out of control, God is still in control.

Truth is, all of us have our moments. All of us make our share of mistakes. But, God’s grace is sufficient. God’s love is constant. And, God specializes in taking hopeless causes like me places otherwise impossible. So, don’t forget you are not an accident, you are priceless, and you are gonna be alright.

(Ephesians 3:18)(NLT) And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

Recently, someone told me that I really needed to separate my real ministry from hospice care. I quickly told that person, “that’s impossible because hospice is ministry at it’s highest level.” If you want to start a fight you’ll never win, just tell me that hospice is just a business. I will fly out my seat and tell you countless stories of how hospice has changed many lives.

Please, let me just say this out of the gate. “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under Heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) None of us choose these times, but these times have already been appointed by an Almighty God. Here is why you need hospice when it’s your time:

1. Dying is never easy.

Most don’t even like to talk about it, but the reality is we’re all going to die one day. Statistics say that most of us will not die from some sudden tragedy, but most will die of a terminal illness discoverd by doctors. When that time comes, you need all the support you can get from family, friends and those who specialize in helping folks make the most of their last days. With hospice you are provided spiritual, physical, mental, emotional and even financial support. For those of us who really feel called by God to your bedside we can help make the otherwise unbearable, the best possible. Patients and families especially need all the support they can get during these difficult days.

2. No One Should Suffer.

I’ve been by the bedside of hundreds of dying men and women. There are peaceful deaths and then there are those who suffer greatly all the way to the end. Yes, I’m passionate about the fact that no one should suffer unnecessarily. Hospice was designed to bring patients as much comfort as possible. Hospitals aren’t designed for this, nursing homes aren’t designed for this and your primary physican doesn’t have time for this. Hospice done right will ensure that any patient is kept comfortable twenty-four seven. Once you’ve seen someone suffer it’s not a sight you care to see again. Hospice works very hard to ensure that your loved one has the maximum comfort possible. This is why hospice services are available to be provided in homes, hospitals and inside any skilled nursing facility such as nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

3. You Only Die Once.

You may brush this one off, but I take dying very seriously. Those last days with your loved ones are very precious. Who wouldn’t want to make the most of what time they have left? Hospice focuses on quality because none of us can control the quantity of our days. Called hospice workers can help make those last days be some of the best days. Death is one of the most life impacting things we deal with in this life. Peace awaits those who feel their last days with their loved one went well. Years of regret await those who feel death snuck up on them and the moments they had left were not seized.

I could give you countless more reasons of why you need to be pro-hospice. I had a lady one time say, “Pastor, I just don’t like that word hospice because it means I’m going to die.” I told her, “Mam, with or without hospice you are going to die one day. We’re just here to make that process a lot easier.” And, if I had my way we would change the name to “Help Us”. Why? Because that is why hospice exists. To help patients and families get the best end of life care possible.

So, when man has done all he can and death comes knocking at your door, call hospice. We not only feel called to be by your bedside, but we can help make that bedside experience a peaceful experience for everyone involved. May God bless you and your family.

*Pastor Craig Crosby works with Patriot Hospice located in downtown Walterboro, SC. They serve patients and families throughout South Carolina. Call him @ 843-542-5572 or email him any questions you might have about hospice @ ccrosby@patriotcares.com. If he can’t help you he will certainly put you in touch with someone who can.

Forty, its just a number. But, in my heart its a turning point. A time to reflect on the past. And even more a time for me to seize the present and future.

In just a flash, I’ve reached what is considered by many to be the halfway point of life. I was born on March 4th, 1975 in an Oklahoma City hospital. Some might say the best days are behind me. But, I say the best days are still to come. In fact, I’m claiming and believing God to do in my life what He did for a man named Job.

(Job 42:12a)The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

Like many my age and older, I know enough to be dangerous. But, if I waste my knowledge and experiences it will all be meaningless. As a dear friend used to say often,”it took all I’ve been through to get me where I am today.”

Over the past forty years, I’ve had some high and low moments. I’ve felt on top of the world only for life to humble me very quickly. By God’s grace I’ve tasted many successes, but I’ve also experienced the pains of defeat. Through it all, God has sustained me and carried me to this point in time.

As each day passes, I’m reminded just how short life is here on earth. One day we’re born and before we blink our days are over. For this reason, I plan to make the most of what time I might have left. Here are my top three goals moving forward:

1. I Plan To WALK WITH GOD. I’m not just talking about going to church, saying some prayers, and spitting out bible verses all day long. I’m talking about taking time each day to seek God’s face and listen to His voice. I want to know God’s love, see God’s power, and follow God’s will. With whatever time I have left I don’t want to waste another minute doing things my way, but God’s way.

2. I Plan To BE A GAME CHANGER. I don’t want to be just another person simply existing. I want God to use my life in such a radical way that everyone I encounter is encouraged and inspired to change. When I’m dead and gone, I want my funeral full of folks that were touched by God through my life. When I get to Heaven I hope to find countless folks that I had the joy of introducing to Jesus. I don’t want to just be different, but be a difference maker.

3. I WANT TO FINISH WELL. I truly believe it’s not how you started, but how you finish that matters most. I know many trials still await. I know that I will grow weary, be discouraged, and life will continue to throw curve balls my way. But, no matter what come my way, I pray I stay the course God has mapped out for me. Until, I breath my last I will aim to remain faithful to the God who created me and called me to Himself.

(James 4:13-17)(NLT)Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

*Join Pastor Craig any Sunday 10:30am @ RefugeChurch. Come as you are, but don’t expect to the leave the same!

Before I write one word I’m praying this is much more than a cute story, but something that touches the deepest part of you. What I’m about to share has shaken, moved and broken the deepest part of me. Hopefully, I can share this with justice.

Recently, at Refuge Church we collected and purchased some heaters to help those struggling to keep warm during this cold time of year. After running out of our stored inventory, I set out to several local businesses in hopes of purchasing more. I discovered that due to extremely low temperatures the local demand was so great that electric heaters were no where to be found in most of the Low Country.

After locating several more heaters through donations and from my own home, I posted on the internet their free availability. In no time at all, my phone was ringing off the hook with local needs. On one of the coldest nights in Colleton County I found myself a distributor of some much needed heat. And as much as I feel those who received them were grateful, I was touched much deeper.

As I travelled to several cold homes throughout our County I met a wide variety of folks. I met widows fighting daily just to survive. I met families who just hoped to keep their lights on one more day. I saw a dad’s eyes filled with tears as He longed to keep his children safe and warm. I saw a single mother who was doing all she could day and night, yet still lived in a place most would call an absolute shack. But, what I really felt I saw was the heart of Colleton County.

Attention! News flash my friends. Colleton County is a struggling county. Physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, and spiritually. Sure, I love living here and I love the people. But, please understand that most of the residents here are struggling just to survive. Maybe someone reading this is one of them. I want you to know that because of you I can’t just go to sleep at night without thinking about you or your family. I can’t just kick back in my warm house, knowing that someone else is freezing at their house.

Too often those of us who have been so richly blessed waste the platforms God has given us. We all need to step out of our house and check on our neighbors more often. Especially as believers and followers of Christ we need to quit just talking about what we should do and actually get out in the community and do something that touches a life.

God never called any of us to just go to church, but to be the church. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Secondly, Jesus says we’ve been commanded to love our neighbor as ourself.

When you love your neighbor as yourself, you are reflecting God’s love at its greatest. There is not a person around of any race, background or status that God does not dearly love. God sent His only son Jesus to die for all the world, not just a chosen few. If Jesus was willing to do anything to show His incredible love for us, we need to be willing to go the extra mile to show His love to our neighbors.

I pray this for us all. That as Christ representatives we won’t just pass peoply by and do nothing. That we will always care for those who are cold, hungry, lonely, less fortunate and just in desperate need of encountering some Jesus with skin. For I know, its when we most embody a Christ-like nature that we ourselves will feel the closest to God’s heart.

*Looking for a place where you will always feels loved, Christ will always be lifted and you will always leave encouraged? Join Pastor Craig Sundays 10:30a.m. @ the Colleton Rec Center.

“Honey I’m home and I had a hard day. Pour me a cold one and oh by the way.” I believe Shania Twain might have been on to something in her hit song. For certain, I believe most of the world can relate. Life is hard, some days are longer than others, and we’re all just looking for an escape from reality.

I’m about to address a topic that is far overdue. You will be hard pressed to find one person that has not been touched by someone’s out of hand drinking. You know, someone who said I’ll just have a few drinks and next thing you know they are intoxicated. While drunk who knows what one might say or do to harm themselves or those they love. I’ve seen firsthand that anything is possible. I guess that’s why they call it under the influence. Because at that point you aren’t you, but you are a million miles from reality.

Now, I understand there are many issues that could be addressed, but I feel led to touch on this one. One, because I know this issue affects the majority of the population. I bet you or someone you know is struggling with a drinking problem right now. Two, I actually understand why so many have turned to the bottle. So, please allow me to share what I’ve discovered.

First of all, I don’t think less of anyone who likes to have a drink. I do have a healthy fear of what alcohol can become in a person’s life and the havoc it can create in many lives. But, I have this same healthy fear about many other things such as the misuse of prescription drugs or the internet. Satan will use anything he can to ruin lives. So, this article has no intentions of bashing those who drink casually or consistently.

What I would like to point out is why so many just can’t drink enough. Outside of socially wanting to be with their friends or drink a cold one, I believe that anyone practically drinking themselves to death is crying out for help. They are doing all they can to drown out what they’ve done, where they’ve been and what they’ve been through. Internally their hearts are bleeding and for whatever reason they have not discovered how to stop it. Most of them would give anything to turn things around and get a handle on life. Yet, within they honestly feel hopeless and powerless concerning their life situations.

Honestly, I believe far too many professing Christians are more concerned about the bottle than the person. When God sees these people he doesn’t see what they are drinking, he sees straight to their heart. He sees their longing for peace, forgiveness, and a second chance in this life. God understands that their deepest thirst is not for some man-made drink. But, their deepest thirst and longing is for a right relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ.

You see, we’re all looking for relief. Until we invite Jesus Christ in our life our heart will remain unsettled. This unsettledness leads us down a lot of dead end paths. Those paths often disappoint and devastate those we love. I can promise you this: There is not a rehab facility on the planet that can take credit for delivering you from alcohol or any drug. God may have used those people and process, but only Jesus can stop internal chaos and bring lasting healing.

God has really put a huge burden on my heart for those struggling in this area. And, if you’re one of those people I want you to know I’m praying earnestly for you. I pray that you will discover that it’s impossible to drown your hurt and heartache and I hope you discover that God cares even more. He loves you unconditionally, offers full forgiveness and knows how to put a heart back together. Just run into His arms!

(John 4:13-14)(NIV)Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”…

Are you looking for place where you can always come as you are, but will never leave the same? Then, join me any Sunday 10:30a.m. @ the Colleton Rec Center. www.RefugeChurch.org.